Ravalomanana's return troubles talks
2011-06-07 13:17
Gaborone - Madagascar's feuding political leaders remained bitterly divided over exiled ex-president Marc Ravalomanana's possible return as they sought a way out of the island's two-year-old crisis on Tuesday.
Ravalomanana, his rival Andry Rajoelina and the heads of nine other political parties met on Tuesday in Botswana for the last of two days of talks that regional mediators describe as the final chance to end the standoff sparked by Ravalomanana's ouster in March 2009.
The talks were convened by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), whose mediators have proposed a "road map" that would install a transitional government led by Rajoelina to steer the country to new elections.
But the rivals remain divided over whether those elections would include Ravalomanana, who has been in exile in South Africa since his ouster and whose return is not guaranteed in the road map.
Ravalomanana, who has refused to sign the plan along with two other former presidents at the talks, said he sees the document as a rough draft that he will only sign if amended.
"They will prepare a new one," he told AFP. "The road map is like a document to start off, and then we'll see."
He said he believes SADC, which has suspended Madagascar together with the African Union, supports his return to his country to run in new elections.
"On my return to Madagascar, they said clearly: if we want to implement true democracy, let the people choose [who] they want to be their leader," he said.
"My condition [to accept the road map] is simple: to implement true democracy in Madagascar. This is my hope."
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Ravalomanana faces life in prison in Madagascar after being sentenced in absentia for the 2009 killing of a group of demonstrators by his presidential guard during the violent street protests that led to his overthrow.
Rajoelina's camp is insisting the road map be implemented in its current form, and says Ravalomanana must stay in exile or face jail.
"The road map shouldn't be amended any more," said Augustin Andriamananoro, special adviser to Rajoelina.
"As far as Mr Marc Ravalomanana, what is the most important thing for a human being? It's to have freedom," he told AFP.
"I think it's in his interest to leave the situation as it is to preserve that freedom. It's still not possible for the Madagascan people to think about his return."
The talks are being led by SADC's current chairperson, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, together with Zambian President Rupiah Banda, SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salomao and ex-Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano, the lead mediator.
The panel has been holding individual meetings with each of the political parties, with Rajoelina the last to air his views on Tuesday morning.
The meetings were expected to go into a plenary session on Tuesday afternoon - half a day behind schedule - with all 11 parties gathered together for talks.